Opinions on the Sea elite value package from diver supply?

[fjpatrum]

thats what i thought too mate but they worked fine on ally tank, i tried it on a steel tank on another dive about a week later, they didnt fit lol.
Apparently there are two types of yoke valves. i think theres a hexagonal one and another one.

The only thing I can think of is different pressure ratings for the yoke then? It's my understanding different pressure DIN valves don't match. IE a DIN 2600 doesn't mate with a DIN 4000 or something like that? Is that possible on yokes? Or is it possible it was user error?

 

[beaverdivers]

Not everyone has the money or desire to spend $1500 on regs that really don't make that much difference from those that can be had for a third that (or less).

You can get a quality package ( B.C., Reg., Oct. and two gauge console ) for around $600, not $1500 just for the regs.

 

[fjpatrum]

You can get a quality package ( B.C., Reg., Oct. and two gauge console ) for around $600, not $1500 just for the regs.

Define "quality package" and what makes you say the package the OP linked isn't "quality"? What gear are you quoting as a full package for $600? I'm pretty sure you don't sell a single SP package that costs that, though I do see a subgear package for $699 that also includes a computer. Is that the same package you're talking about (less the computer)?

Either way, that is still $200 more than the price of the package the OP linked, which includes the same type of equipment. Not everyone is made of money. Even more importantly, not everyone wants to spend more just because they can. $200 is 2 days of 2 tank dives on a boat. It's a whole lot more doing shore dives. Or it's the difference of buying the gear this month and eating groceries or waiting another month to buy the same functional equipment next month so you can eat groceries this month.

Several posters have pointed out that these regs work just fine as long as you recognize that you may have to service them yourself or send them back to divers supply. A vest BC is a vest BC for the most part, and regs really aren't that significantly different in design (assuming you're not comparing diaphragm versus piston). Modern regs from super cheap to crazy expensive all breathe reasonably well. They're all made of brass with chrome plating (except the titanium ones) and are likely to last just as long no matter what brand they are. Sure, some are better than others, that's part of why there are price differences. Tolerances really can't be so bad that these things "last only one dive" or are a complete waste of money, though, because if they were the company would be out of business because of lawsuits. Just because it's not a big-name brand doesn't mean it's crap.

 

[Justin08gt]

I personally use the Sea Elite Regulator and the Edge Octo. I purchased the package deal from Divers Supply with the Edge BC. I have used this equipment on several dives and have not had any issues with the Regs at all. The package i purchased saved me a lot of money and i dont feel that i would be any happier with a more expensive set. I have used other more expensive regs before and actually didnt like them any better. They seemed to have worked the same, i never have had any issues with my Sea Elite Regs and would highly recomend them. As far as the service goes just take them back to DS and they will service them there.

 

[emoreira]

I´ve purchased a Sea Elite Scout BCD some time ago. I dive only 30 times a year, so the BCD has now something like 60~70 dives. It´s now still like new. Never had an issue. Only the same problem as every WI BCD with sliding weight pouches, but solved with a very little amount of brain. I do recommend the Sea Elite BCD. Don´t know about Sea Elite Regs.

 

[USFpsychDiver]

I have one piece of Sea Elite gear, a 7mm jumpsuit wetsuit. I also have a 3mm farmer John from Henderson. I've worn them both about the same amount. The Sea Elite has threads coming undone and a small hole that just appeared one of the legs; the Henderson is pretty much like new. However, I paid less than $100 for the Sea Elite (on sale) and over $200 for the Henderson. So, you get what you pay for, but for the price, the Sea Elite was a fine buy in my opinion.

If you don't need something today, it's worth checking the classifieds here, on ebay, and your local craigslist for used stuff. There is a lot of 'churn' in dive gear, with plenty of it lightly used. There's a high percentage of people who buy a bunch of new gear for their OW classes, then never dive again, and this basically new gear shows up on the used market. I usually won't pay more than half of discount retail for used gear, given the risks of buying used. That said, I've never gotten a bum deal and have saved a lot of money.

BCs: no reason not to buy used
Regs: may need to be serviced before you can use them, which costs $50 - $100, so figure that into your costs
Wetsuits: no way -- people pee in their wetsuits -- 'nuf said

I've gotten two BCs (a Zeagle express tech and a Dive Rite backplate with a Hollis wing), three regulators (a Mares Prestige 22 and two Hollis DC1/212's), and my dive computer (Mares Nemo Wide), all barely or never used open box like new for about half what I would have paid new online. So you can get name-brand stuff that way for less than the 'budget' packages.

 

[Lead_carrier]

Please tell me how a reg can fit on a yoke valve of one tank but not a yoke valve of another tank. I call BS on this one. If you're trying to say they only fit yoke versus DIN, then I will believe you, but everyone knows that when they buy regs, you either get one or the other and they aren't interchangeable.

As for free-flows or leaks, that has absolutely nothing to do with the cost of the reg. That has to do with tuning and workmanship.

Not all yoke valves are the same dimensions and not all yokes have the same inside clearances. I have run into a couple of older yoke regs that didn't fit over all newer valves and a couple of fairly new yokes that had wouldn't fit a conversion valve but would fit fine over a standard yoke.

 

[fjpatrum]

Not all yoke valves are the same dimensions and not all yokes have the same inside clearances. I have run into a couple of older yoke regs that didn't fit over all newer valves and a couple of fairly new yokes that had wouldn't fit a conversion valve but would fit fine over a standard yoke.

Good to know. I have yokes from the 60s through the early 2000s, I think, that all fit every yoke valve I've attempted to put them on so far. If I encounter this in the future, I'll know what the issue is.

 

[phenom]

I was looking to buy a set of gear myself to get certified with because I liked the idea of learning on my own equipment and because I would eventually buy my own gear anyway. After doing some research I went and bought the sea elite regulator set but opted for the "Standard package" that divers supply offers instead. I must say I'm quite pleased with what I bought. Ive used it on 7 dives. Ive only been to 60ish feet with it but its not hard to breathe at all. Personally I would go with the rx450 regulator over the 330 because the price difference is so small. Glad I did. The owner of the dive shop where I got certified in got mad and called my sea elite stuff "inferior" when I didn't buy HIS stuff for 3x as much, Sure his stuff was of "better" quality but for a beginner there really isn't a point in paying like a pro. The rentals everyone used to get their certification were Zeagles and when it came my turn to breathe off of one of them for a drill to get my certification I didn't notice any difference in breathing as opposed to the sea elite. Another thing worth mentioning is they're quite large compared to other regulators and fairly resilient. In the end I feel like I got a good deal.

 

[michaelw]

You can't beat the price. I have had sea elite gear and would just reccomend you don't skip the annual service no matter what. It is low end gear and I let mine go a couple years without service and had the diaphragm rupture in my second stage giving me a dose of water instead of air. I was new to diving at the time and while I was shallow and had my octo it might have posed a problem for under other circumstances. Best of luck!